The archive photo shows the Custom Ring Amplification store with a sign on the side of the building that says, “Ring Free Quebec!” In 1979, the Warren Stevens Building, which houses the University of Toronto’s Athletic Centre, was opened at this site (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 55, Item 17)
The time between the two photos is about 115 years, but one constant remains visible in both images: the original building of the historic King Edward Hotel, located in the centre-right background with its distinctive curved corner. The King Edward Hotel opened in 1903, and its 18-story tower, visible in the present-day photo, was completed in 1921 (City of Toronto Archives, William James Family fonds, Fonds 1244, Item 7345)
In 1929, a sign outside Haddon Hall highlighted various conveniences available to renters of its two- and three-bedroom apartments. These included electric lighting, gas and electric refrigeration, an electric elevator, and fireproof and soundproof apartments. As of 2025, the building, which architect Norman Armstrong designed, still stands (Toronto Public Library TSPA_0109059F – Toronto Star Photograph Archive)
The archive photo shows the original building, constructed between 1895 and 1896 for the Philip Jamieson & Company clothing store. Designed in the Renaissance Revival style by the architectural firm Curry, Baker & Co., the building featured a unique rounded corner, a suggestion made by Mr. Jamieson to the city to facilitate traffic flow. This distinct design element was highlighted in many of the store’s advertisements, which included the phrase “The Rounded Corner – Queen and Yonge Sts.”
Mr. Jamieson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1850 and immigrated to Canada in 1873. After moving to Toronto, he became one of the most prominent merchants of his time. He was the first to install electricity in his store and the first in the city to publish a full-page newspaper ad. In 1909, Mr. Jamieson sold the building along with the land lease.
From 1912 until the mid-1970s, the building housed an F.W. Woolworth store. Afterward, the storefront transitioned into an RBC branch and then various retail shops, including Tower Records, Coast Mountain Sports, Atmosphere and SportsChek.
In 2018, significant restoration work began on the building to transform it into a high-end retail space connected to the Eaton Centre. Although there were plans to salvage and restore much of the original structure, it had deteriorated beyond repair due to overcladding and decades of wear and tear. ERA Architects and Zeidler Architecture collaborated on the restoration of the terracotta and masonry façade, reconstructing it with over 40,000 replica bricks, stones, and terracotta pieces (Toronto Public Library Pictures- R-3993)
The Department of Household Science Building at the University of Toronto – St George Campus is shown on the right. Constructed between 1908 and 1912, it was made possible by the generous donation of Lillian Massey Treble, aimed at promoting higher scientific education for women in Canada. Designed in the Neo-Classical style by architect George Martel Miller, the building received heritage status from the city in 1973.
Today, the building is home to the Centre for Medieval Studies and the Department of Classics (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 1006 – James Victor Salmon photographer)
On the left of the archive photo is La Scala Dining Room & Tavern, a renowned fine-dining Italian restaurant that opened in 1962 and was operated by the Grieco family. They named the restaurant after Milan’s grand opera house. La Scala was a favourite destination for Toronto’s politicians, financial professionals, and social elites. In 1987, the service laneway behind the restaurant was named La Scala Lane. The restaurant closed its doors in 1993.
On the right in the vintage photo is the Tiroler Restaurant & Tavern, which offered Viennese cuisine in the ambiance of an Austrian inn. This restaurant opened in the mid-1950s and closed in the early 1980s.
In 2001, the pair of three-storey Victorian homes, dating back to about 1880, were demolished and later replaced by Elev’n21, a 21-storey condo tower. The corner column of the tower, visible on the left of the present-day photo, features a sculpture called “La Scala,” which translates to “staircase” in Italian. This sculpture features a series of female silhouettes ascending the column in a spiral (Toronto Public Library 2015-2-85)
According to the 1972/73 Toronto City Directory, a few of the establishments in the archive photo include United Clothing, Brown Hall Optical, Japan Camera Centre, Odyssey Shops and Loheed Shoes. Today, the CF Toronto Eaton Centre occupies the block up to Queen St W. It opened in 1977 (City of Toronto Archives, Ellis Wiley fonds, Fonds 124, File 2, Item 157)
The archive photo features an Indian Motor Oil billboard and the Hotel Morrissey, which later became known as The Morrissey Tavern, or “The Mo,” on the left. On the right side, several shops are visible, including the Chateau Gai Wine Shop and the John Britnell Art Gallery. In the background, you can see the clock tower of what was originally the Yorkville Town Hall. This building was destroyed by fire in 1941, but two of its surviving pieces, the clock and the Coat of Arms, were relocated to the Yorkville Fire Hall.
The streetscape looks very different today. However, a constant in both photos are the grey two- and three-story buildings on the right, one of which previously housed John Britnell’s art shop (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 1681- James Victor Salmon photographer)
Some of the businesses featured in the archive photo include Tom’s Open Kitchen, Deny’s Barbecue Delicatessen, Ted’s Variety Store with a Pepsi sign, and the old Warwick Hotel featuring a Coca-Cola ad. Today, the space at 152 Dundas St E is occupied by Plug Canna6is (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 9, Item 12)
The archive photo shows when both McGill St and Hayter St once intersected with Yonge St. It also shows Eaton’s College Street store on the right. Today, this building is known as College Park.
The McGill Street Arch, shown in the present-day photo, was originally part of the previous St Andrew’s United Church located on Bloor St E, opposite Park Rd. The church was demolished in 1981; however, the archway was preserved and rebuilt as a pedestrian gateway after the city closed the McGill St and Yonge St intersection to vehicle traffic (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 574, File 81, Item 491027 – Brigdens Limited photography)
The four-storey building, constructed in 1882 and designed by architect David Roberts Jr, was originally the Windsor House. It was renamed the New Windsor House, as shown in the archive photo, and later McVeigh’s Irish Pub (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 40, Item 5)
The archive photo features the Joy Theatre at 1130 Queen St E. On the marquee, “Tarzan and the Leopard Woman,” starring Johnny Weissmuller, Brenda Joyce and Johnny Sheffield, was playing and released in 1946.
Originally opened in the mid-1910s as the Rex Theatre, the venue was renamed the Joy Theatre in the early 1940s. After closing in the mid-1950s, the building was repurposed to house the Grads Club. From 1989 to 2021, it was occupied by Stratenger’s. Today, the building is home to Dave’s Hot Chicken (City of Toronto Archives, Alexandra Studio fonds, Fonds 1257, Series 1057, Item 464)
The archive photo captures the streetscape nearly a century ago. Along with several billboards that once lined this stretch, there was a house at the corner, which is shown for sale in the old image. It was home to Fred Jung’s Laundry and is last mentioned in the 1929 Toronto City Directory. By the early 1930s, the house was replaced by the current building, which initially featured storefronts with apartments above. It later became a tavern and hotel. Today, this storefront is occupied by a restaurant.
One building that remains constant in both photos is the one on the left, with the arched windows and door on the lower level. This structure was built in 1898 and designed by architect George M. Martel for the John Labatt Bottling Works, which originally served as a residence, stable, and vault (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 372, Sub Series 3, Item 729 – Dept. of Public Works photographs)
While all the buildings at the corner stand today, the one directly at the corner is notable. The Second Empire-style building with the mansard roof was constructed circa 1874, and the corner storefront was initially home to John Forester’s grocery store, while the neighbouring storefront on the building’s south side was home to Patrick Haley’s butcher shop. The building was added to the city’s heritage register in 1973 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 726, Item 20 – Urban Design photographs)
The archive photo captures a time when the corner building was home to Jimmy’s Farm market and Marcel’s Variety. Although the corner building still stands today, the current photo also showcases the newly completed mixed-use building in the background, known as Queen & Ashbridge or QA Condos (Toronto Public Library LOCHIST-BE-006)
The building at the corner, designed in the Second Empire style, features a mansard roof and decorative dormer windows. It predates 1880, although the exact date of construction is unclear. What is known is that from the late 1850s to the early 1890s, this address was home to James O’Hagan’s grocery store. In 1887, Mr. O’Hagan was one of the top advocates for renaming what was then Pine St to Sackville St, a name inspired by a street in Dublin, Ireland.
The archive photo shows the building when the storefronts served as the Ontario Housing Authority’s redevelopment office and the United Grill Restaurant. In 2020, the building was listed on the city’s heritage register as part of the King-Parliament Historic Context. Today, the storefront is used as office space (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 37, Item 4)
Built in 1931, the fire hall was designed by city architect J.J. Woolnough in the Art Deco style and received heritage status by the city in 1982 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 360 – James Victor Salmon photographer)
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Jul 24, 1895, pg 8 (Philip Jamieson & Co., northwest corner of Queen St W & Yonge St)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Mar 2, 1896, pg 7 (Philip Jamieson & Co., northwest corner of Queen St W & Yonge St)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Feb 2, 1909, pg 1 (Philip Jamieson & Co., northwest corner of Queen St W & Yonge St)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Feb 22, 1909, pg 5 (Philip Jamieson & Co., northwest corner of Queen St W & Yonge St)
- Canadian Architect and Builder, Volume 9, Number 1, Jan 1896, pg 14 (Philip Jamieson & Co., northwest corner of Queen St W & Yonge St)
- ERA Architects: 2 Queen Street West (Philip Jamieson & Co., northwest corner of Queen St W & Yonge St)
- Zeidler Architecture: 2 Queen West (Philip Jamieson & Co., northwest corner of Queen St W & Yonge St)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: May 20, 1963, pg 16 (Tiroler Restaurant, southeast corner of Bay St & Charles St W)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Mar 15, 1980, pg E9 (Tiroler Restaurant, southeast corner of Bay St & Charles St W)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jul 21, 1987, pg E14 (La Scala Dining Room, southeast corner of Bay St & Charles St W)
- The Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Apr 16, 1993, pg D1 (La Scala Dining Room, southeast corner of Bay St & Charles St W)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Oct 22, 1993, pg A14 (La Scala Dining Room, southeast corner of Bay St & Charles St W)
- The National Post Newspaper Archives: May 13, 2000, pg W25 (La Scala Dining Room, southeast corner of Bay St & Charles St W)
- The Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: May 31, 2000, pg F5 (La Scala Dining Room, southeast corner of Bay St & Charles St W)
- The Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Sep 14, 2002, pg P2 (La Scala Dining Room, southeast corner of Bay St & Charles St W)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Apr 24, 1877, pg 4 (Queen St W & Sackville St, northwest corner)
- Photos: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photos: City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Public Library, Archives of Ontario & CNE Heritage
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
